Telecommunications distribution frame

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a telecommunications distribution frame  101 . The distribution frame  101  is particularly intended to be installed in an outdoor environment inside a cabinet for making connections between subscribers and network equipment via cables such as telephone cables comprising a plurality of copper wire pairs. The telecommunications distribution frame  101  has a plurality of truss type fixing means  11 , each of said fixing means  11  being designed to receive a terminal strip, the distribution frame also has a support  17, 18  carrying said plurality of fixing means  11 . The support is mounted to turn about an axis of rotation OO′.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present invention is related to and claims the benefit of priority to French Patent Application No. 02 14011, filed on Nov. 8, 2002, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a telecommunications distribution frame. The distribution frame is intended more particularly for installation inside a cabinet, the cabinet itself being placed in an outdoor environment, and the distribution frame serving to make interconnections between subscribers and network equipment via cables such as telephone cables, each having a plurality of copper wire pairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Such a distribution frame includes a plurality of terminal strips enabling cross-connections to be established between multiple conductors, in particular between subscribers and electronics cards of the telecommunications network. This plurality of terminal strips is organized as two sets: a first set provides connections with subscribers via cables, each comprising a plurality of twisted pairs; and a second set provides connection with the cards. The two sets are connected to each other by jumpers, i.e. by short lengths of cable serving to make a connection between two terminal strips.

[0004] Very often, the distribution frame is to be found in an outdoor environment, such as a street, so as to be as close as possible to subscribers and provide services of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) type. Under such circumstances, the distribution frame needs to be protected against water and any other form of outdoor pollution, and it is generally located in a protective cabinet. The cabinet must also give easy access to the terminal strips in order to enable actions to be taken, and taken again, on the various connections, while still providing the terminal strips at sufficient density.

[0005] One solution consists in using terminal strips disposed parallel to one another and with their longitudinal axes vertical inside the cabinet, the connection faces of each of the terminal strips being perpendicular to the entry face of the cabinet. Each of the strips can be tilted into a horizontal position at ground level outside the cabinet, thus enabling action to be taken on each of the strips.

[0006] Nevertheless, that can lead to certain difficulties.

[0007] Thus, that solution requires the terminal strips to be wired outside the cabinet. Such outside wiring can lead to water penetrating, e.g. if it is raining, or to contamination by dust.

[0008] In addition, the person carrying out the action needs to perform the wiring low down, which can be awkward.

[0009] Furthermore, that solution requires empty space to be provided outside the distribution frame so as to allow the terminal strips to be deployed.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention seeks to provide a telecommunications distribution frame having a plurality of terminal strips enabling wiring to be performed entirely inside a cabinet, thus avoiding problems of outdoor pollution, and without it being always necessary for the technician taking action to be required to wire the terminal strips in a low position. The distribution frame of the present invention also makes it possible to conserve good density of terminal strips.

[0011] To this end, the present invention provides a telecommunications distribution frame comprising:

[0012] a plurality of fixing means, each of said fixing means being designed to receive a plurality of terminal strips; and

[0013] a support supporting said plurality of fixing means,

[0014] wherein said support is rotatable about an axis of rotation, said fixing means being distributed around said axis of rotation.

[0015] By means of the invention, when the distribution frame is in a cabinet, wiring is undertaken entirely inside the cabinet. By way of example, the fixing means can be trusses having terminal strips fixed thereon. The rotary support enables each terminal strip to be brought to the front face of the cabinet. Wiring is thus performed entirely inside the cabinet. By way of example, the support may be a circular plate with the various trusses distributed around it. The plate is mounted to rotate about a perpendicular axis passing through its center so that by turning the plate is it possible to bring any selected truss into the desired position in the front face of the cabinet.

[0016] In addition, the distribution frame of the invention occupies only a small amount of space, and there is no need to provide additional space around the distribution frame during wiring operations.

[0017] Furthermore, the terminal strips are never at ground level and wiring can be performed by a technician in the standing position.

[0018] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, each of said fixing means is mounted to pivot about an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said pivot axis being located close to the side edge of said fixing means.

[0019] Thus, a terminal strip fixed via the fixing means can pivot and the technician taking action has access to both faces of the terminal strip.

[0020] Advantageously, said support comprises a bottom plate and a top plate, said fixing means extending longitudinally between said bottom and top plates.

[0021] Advantageously, each of said fixing means comprises two parallel rails.

[0022] Advantageously, said distribution frame includes means for preventing said distribution frame from turning outside a predetermined angular range.

[0023] The distribution frame must be prevented from making more than one revolution since that would damage the cables; the means for blocking rotation restrict rotation to the angular range required for giving access to all of the terminal strips from the front of the cabinet, for example.

[0024] Advantageously, said fixing means are fixed vertically to said support.

[0025] Advantageously, each of said fixing means has a vertical plane of symmetry, said vertical planes of symmetry intersecting on said axis of rotation of said support.

[0026] The present invention also provides a cabinet containing a distribution frame of the invention, the cabinet including an opening, each of said fixing means being suitable for being brought to face said opening by turning said support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting illustration.

[0028] In the following figures:

[0029]FIG. 1 shows a distribution frame of the invention;

[0030]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the distribution frame of the invention fixed in a cabinet; and

[0031]FIG. 3 is a plan view of the distribution frame in a particular embodiment of the invention.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In all of the figures, common elements are given the same reference numerals.

[0033]FIG. 1 shows a distribution frame 101 of the invention.

[0034] The distribution frame 101 comprises:

[0035] a first cylindrical rod 19;

[0036] a support bar 6;

[0037] a top plate 17;

[0038] a bottom plate 18;

[0039] a plurality of vertically-extending trusses 11;

[0040] a plurality of cable-passing elements 2;

[0041] a plurality of jumper-passing rings 3; and

[0042] a second cylindrical rod 24.

[0043] The support bar 6 is a square-section tube and is rotatable about the first cylindrical rod 19 which defines an axis of rotation OO′ for the bar 6.

[0044] Each of the trusses 11 comprises two parallel rails 11A and 11B connected together by a plurality of mutually parallel spacers 16 extending perpendicularly to the rails. The spacers 16 serve to maintain constant spacing between the rails 11A and 11B. The trusses 11 are substantially rectangular in shape.

[0045] The bottom plate 18 has a second cylindrical rod 24 parallel to the first rod 19. This second rod 24 serves to act as means for preventing rotation of said distribution frame beyond a predetermined angular range. The function of this rod 24 is described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0046]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the distribution frame 101 as shown in FIG. 1 when fixed in a cabinet 100.

[0047] The top plate 17 is a metal part, for example made of aluminum, in the form of an open ring of center C and including a fixing element 25 facing towards the center C.

[0048] Each truss 11 possesses a vertical plane of symmetry P perpendicular to the plane of the sheet, parallel to the rails 11A and 11B and at equal distances therefrom.

[0049] Each of the trusses 11 serves to receive terminal strips such as the strip 8; this strip 8 may also have a protective element 1 providing protection against surges and passage means 9 enabling cables to be passed from one face of the strip to its opposite face.

[0050] The bottom plate 18 is identical to the top plate 17.

[0051] The bar 6 is fixed to the plate 17 at its center C via the element 25 so that the axis of rotation OO′ is perpendicular to the plane of the plate 17.

[0052] In identical manner, the bar 6 is fixed to the center of the bottom plate 18 which can be seen in FIG. 1.

[0053] Each of the trusses 11 is fixed to the plates 17 and 18 so that the vertical planes of symmetry P intersect on the axis of rotation OO′, and the rails 11A and 11B are parallel to the axis of rotation OO′. The rails 11A and 11B are thus substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the plates 17 and 18. In this embodiment, the trusses 11 are placed substantially tangentially to the plates 17 and 18, the trusses being distributed around the circular plates 17 and 18.

[0054] The assembly comprising the top and bottom plates 17 and 18 and the trusses 11 is thus rotatable about the rod 19 so that the user can have access successively to each truss by turning the assembly.

[0055] The passage elements 2 fixed on the top plate 17 enable the cables connected to a strip on the top of the distribution frame 11 to be extracted so as to be taken, for example, to pieces of equipment such as electronics cards.

[0056] Passage elements 2 are also fixed on the bottom plate 18 and enable cables coming from under the distribution frame 101, e.g. subscriber cables, to be brought in for connection to a strip.

[0057] The rings 3 fixed on the top plate 17 allow jumpers to pass inside the distribution frame from one strip to another.

[0058] The distribution frame 101 as shown in FIG. 2 has five trusses 11 which are organized as a first set, e.g. comprising three trusses for making connections to subscribers, and a second set comprising two trusses for making connections to electronics cards. The electrical connections between these two sets are provided by the jumpers.

[0059] The cabinet 100 has a structure 10 substantially in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped defining a volume 15 in which the distribution frame 101 is fixed via the first rod 19 as shown in FIG. 1, which is fixed to a top support 23 secured to the cabinet 100 and to a bottom support 7 also secured to the cabinet 100. The support 7 is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and extends from the center of the cabinet to its face opposite from an opening 16. Thus, the rod 24 as shown in FIG. 1 comes into abutment against this support 7 when the distribution frame 101 is turned, thereby preventing it from turning through one complete revolution.

[0060] The structure 10 has a face presenting the opening 16 which is generally closed by a door (not shown).

[0061] Each of the trusses 11 can be moved to face the opening 16 by turning the distribution frame 101.

[0062] The cabinet 100 may be a cabinet located outdoors, the terminal strips 8 being wired solely inside the cabinet 100, with access to the desired strip being gained by turning the distribution frame 101.

[0063]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a distribution frame constituting a particular embodiment of the invention.

[0064] In this embodiment, each of the trusses 11 is itself pivotally mounted about an axis BB′ parallel to the axis of rotation OO′, said axis BB′ being close to one of the side edges of the truss 11.

[0065] Pivoting a truss in this way gives access to both faces 21 and 22 of the truss 11 and thus to both faces of a terminal strip fixed on the truss, whenever connections need to be made.

[0066] Once action on the distribution frame has been completed, the truss 11 is fixed to the top plate 17, e.g. via a clip 23.

[0067] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

[0068] In particular, the embodiment described relates more particularly to making connections to copper cables, however the invention can also be used in the context of a distribution frame for optical fibers.

[0069] The invention is described above more particularly for a distribution frame that is to be inserted in a cabinet of the outdoor type. Nevertheless, a distribution frame of the invention can also be inserted in any type of cabinet, for example it can be rack-mounted.

[0070] Furthermore, the distribution frame of the invention is described as having two plates, i.e. a top plate and a bottom plate, however it is also possible to envisage using a single plate having the trusses fixed thereon.

[0071] It should also be observed that the trusses are described as being tangential to the top and bottom plates, however the trusses could also slope to a small extent relative to a tangent.

[0072] Finally, the distribution frame may be used indoors without being enclosed in any kind of cabinet. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A telecommunications distribution frame comprising: a plurality of fixing means, each of said fixing means being designed to receive a plurality of terminal strips; and a support supporting said plurality of fixing means, wherein said support is rotatable about an axis of rotation, said fixing means being distributed around said axis of rotation.
 2. A telecommunications distribution frame according claim 1, wherein said fixing means are fixed vertically to said support.
 3. A telecommunications distribution frame according to claim 1, wherein each of said fixing means has a vertical plane of symmetry, said vertical planes of symmetry intersecting on said axis of rotation of said support.
 4. A telecommunications distribution frame according to claim 1, wherein each of said fixing means is mounted to pivot about an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said pivot axis being located close to the side edge of said fixing means.
 5. A telecommunications distribution frame according to claim 1, wherein said support comprises a bottom plate and a top plate, said fixing means extending longitudinally between said bottom and top plates.
 6. A telecommunications distribution frame according to claim 1, wherein each of said fixing means comprises two parallel rails.
 7. A telecommunications distribution frame, wherein said distribution frame includes means for preventing said distribution frame from turning outside a predetermined angular range.
 8. A cabinet including a distribution frame according to claim 1, the cabinet including an opening, each of said fixing means being suitable for being brought to face said opening by turning said support. 